Sugar-Freed

Sugar-freed is all about removing the sugar from our diet, re-balancing our insulin and finally letting go of excess weight. The one thing we have found over the years working with clients over 40, if there is too much sugar in your diet, then your hormones will be off, and your efforts to lose weight are going to be so much harder, and for some - impossible!

Sugar Free Alternatives

Sugar free alternatives ARE NOT the answer to your sugar addiction; when removing sugar, they too must come out. Because - You know in your bones that artificial sweeteners aka diet soda / diet drinks / sugar free candy ….and the list goes on, aren’t any better for you than the real stuff.

Why go Sugar Free

Excess sugar is bad for us, we all know this.  The reasons why are clearly outlined. Too much sugar has been related to:

• An increased risk of depression
• Increased risk of developing insulin resistance
• Increased chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes
• May increase the rate at which you age – skin and cellular
• Can lead to a fatty liver
• Depletes your energy – hello sugar crash
• May increase acne
• Increases kidney disease risk
• Negatively impacts dental health
• Increases your chance of developing gout
• Can lead to impaired memory
• Increased risk of dementia

How to find sugar

Sugar takes on many different names on the ingredient list, and spotting them is half the battle. Check for ingredients ending in "ose" — the chemical name for many types of sugar: fructose, glucose, maltose and dextrose. Here's a list of other common types of added sugars:

• Cane juice and cane syrup
• Corn sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup
• Fruit juice concentrate and nectars
• Honey
• Malt or maple syrup
• Molasses

Skip these too

Here's the list of the most common artificial sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, neotame, sucralose.

REMEMBER - Artificial sweeteners are synthetic chemicals that stimulate the sweet taste receptors on the tongue, making things taste sweet without any extra calories

I hate to break it to you, but science shows that in order to lead our best and healthiest life possible we need to reduce our overall consumption or sugar and its sugar free alternatives and live sugar-freed!

The Science of Sugar

Before moving on, let’s examine exactly what happens when we consume sugar (carbohydrates).  When digested, carbohydrates are broken down into sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar levels rise, our body releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key. It allows blood sugar to leave the blood and enter our cells, where it can be used for energy or stored as fat.  When we consume too much sugar, insulin resistance can occur, leading to the problems listed above.

So how do artificial sweeteners, which provide no calories or sugar, harm us? A researcher at Purdue University, Susan Swithers, suggests that sugar substitutes may interfere with our body's ability to metabolize real sugar, and that may help to explain the counter intuitive relationship between artificial sweeteners and weight gain.

Additional research published in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism last year found that artificial sweeteners interfere with hunger and satiety cues.  We are tasting something sweet but aren’t consuming any calories, confusing our brain. This feedback system lets us know we are full, and to stop eating.  Over time, the body stops gearing up our metabolism to process sugar or artificial sweeteners as a substance with calories. Then, when we do eat or drink something that actually contains real sugar the body assumes it's just another artificial sweetener (even though it's not), so it doesn't metabolize those calories correctly or begin to feel full, as it normally would. If we override our body's natural mechanisms for regulating calories in this way, the end result could be unhealthy metabolic changes or even weight gain, since the excess sugar is stored as fat.

Additional research highlights that the most negative consequences of consuming high-intensity sweeteners may occur in those most likely to use them for weight control, i.e. females consuming a "Westernized" diet and already prone to excess weight gain.  So, the cycle continues.

To read further research from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association click here

The answer

All in all, the key to keeping our weight in check and avoiding a whole host of negative side effects is to limit our overall consumption of sugar and its sugar free alternatives; leave that yummy sugar for a special occasional treat.  When eaten on occasion, and when we are not subject to insulin resistance our body will process the sugar and continue on normally, and we will be sugar-freed! Read Corry's Sugar Addiction Blog here!

Ready to finally drop the sugar, but you've tried and never been able to do it before? Email us at info@strengthandgracefitness.com and lets have a chat about your goals and how we can help you break up with sugar once and for all!